Vendors want BSNL dues matter to reach finance ministry

New Delhi: Industry body PHD Chamber of Commerce has written to the telecom department to raise the issue of pending BSNL payments worth Rs 20,000 crore to the finance ministry in order to aid the financially stressed sector.
In a letter to telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad dated April 8, PHD telecom committee chairman Sandeep Agarwal said that state-owned operator BSNL owes Rs 6000 crore against capex, Rs 1000 crores for projects and Rs 13,000 crore against opex to vendors. Besides this, BSNL is awaiting Rs 8500 crore sovereign guarantee and other support from GOI as per its rejuvenation package.

“BSNL is 100% owned by GOI. BSNL and thus GOI has unfortunately used poor Industry’s money to finance its losses,” the letter said.

“We request that DPIIT and MoF may be informed that BSNL is not paying it vendors, in want of revival package disbursement to them.”

The traders’ body added that even USOF (Universal Service Obligation Fund) has not paid the industry and PSU’s from March 20.

It urged the government that credit terms must be relaxed for PSUs including BSNL/MTNL so that they can support their vendors and keep their economic cycle moving.

According to PHD Chamber, pending payments to the industry from DoT, USOF and PSUs is pegged at about Rs 30,000 crore.

Additionally to aid telecom tower companies, the body has also urged state governments to defer payment of power bill upto 45 days from lifting of lockdown, waive fixed charge for next 3 months or supply priority power to towers, issue circular to landlords not to evict tower companies and defer rents for upto 45 days from lifting of lockdown, provide tax/GST refund on diesel and waiver of property tax from local bodies.